Shadows and Secrets: Exposed
by DragonFlame91
Summary: Sequel to Shadows and Secrets. Now in her sixth year, Evani Rybek must not only evade Voldemort but deal with her ancestors' curse. To save the life of her boyfriend Draco, she will need to use one of her most manipulative schemes yet and team up with an enemy. Though she is sure of choosing light magic, she can't help but be tempted by the allure of darkness and power.
1. Evani's plan

Evani Rybek looked like a normal teenage girl. If someone passed her on the street, they would think that she was a pretty, popular high school student who spent her time practicing cheerleading routines and hanging out with her friends at the mall. What most of the world did not know was that Evani was a witch, capable of casting spells. Just one year ago, she had been like all of the other non-magical people in this world. She was an 8th grade student at Pemberton Academy in Dallas, Texas, where she was the class president and she and her friends led the drama department to produce all of the school's plays and musicals. Her entire life changed on 14th birthday by meeting one man named Declan Bass. He kidnapped her with the help of her older brother Jayce. Evani soon learned about other wizards like her and was thrown into the wizarding world.

To evade Bass, she hid in Surrey, England and met another wizard named Harry Potter, who soon became a very close friend. She was then brought to Hogwarts to get a proper wizarding education. The entire school year had been filled with surprises. Evani learned about Bass's boss, a dark wizard named Lord Voldemort, and his plans to capture her for his own schemes. She also found out that she was descended from the Pendragons, a family that originated magic and ruled the wizarding world. In the Middle Ages, the Pendragons lost their status as royals due to a rebellion from the Ministries and the family was stripped of their magic. The school year consisted of ups and many downs. She had to deal with losing her best friends in the muggle world, done by her own hand though she was under a magical influence, discovering that her ex-boyfriend Alec, a guy with killer tendencies, was a wizard and their relationship was all orchestrated from their first meeting, and learning that within a few months, due to the dragon's curse that plagued all young Pendragons, she would need to make a choice between light and dark magic, which had devastating consequences.

A normal person would have cracked from all of this trauma but her friends helped her through it. One of her better memories of the past school year was becoming the girlfriend of Draco Malfoy. Their friendship had been rocky throughout the months, to say the least, but now, they were in love. They had a connection that no one could explain. Though some disagreed with their relationship, neither Evani or Draco listened, knowing that they cared about each other. Their first few weeks of summer break were vastly different. While Draco was forced to work for Voldemort as a death eater, due to his father's failure on a mission in the Department of Mysteries, Evani was staying in the headquarters for the Oracles, a group of special seers led by Anna Grimm. Anna's father Everard had made a prophecy about Evani over a hundred years ago. It predicted that a magical Pendragon would finally be born, after generations of muggles, and they would possess a power called the dragon fire. The prophecy also mentioned that a dark wizard would attempt to turn Evani to dark magic, leading to mass destruction.

Staying at the Oracles headquarters was an interesting experiences. All of the Oracles treated Evani like royalty. When they saw her, they would call her princess instead of her actual name. Serena found it strange and Evani had to tell her the truth. Her explanation involved showing the dragon mark on her back, the symbol of a Pendragon. It took almost ten minutes before Serena could say a single word. She was in shock since the Pendragon bloodline was assumed to be extinguished in the wizarding world. Her family enjoyed staying in Greece, especially since they had been apart from Evani for months.

Evani was fast asleep in her room. The curtains slid open, letting the sunlight peek in through the windows. She sat up, sleepily rubbing the side of her head. Last night, Evani and Serena snuck into the cellar where numerous kinds of liquor were hidden among the shelves. They found a whiskey made with a special enchanted grain. It was the best liquor that Evani ever tasted. She spent hours drinking the whiskey, getting very wasted. Both had their own issues to deal with at the moment. Serena's mother called her every day, begging her to return home. She refused, not wanting to be around the death eaters. Evani was struggling to find a solution to the dragon's curse that would not lead to a close friend of hers dying. She read books in the Oracle library but none of them were useful.

Stumbling out of bed, she had a bad hangover. She tapped her head. Using a spell, she made the hangover disappear. She saw a white peony on her pillow. Every morning, one of the Oracles left a peony on her bed. They told her that it symbolized happy life and prosperity. She placed it in a vase with the other flowers. After getting dressed, she went downstairs. Serena was at the bottom of the staircase. She looked like she had been hit by a car.

"I am never drinking again"

Evani giggled. "Someone can't hold their liquor"

"It wasn't normal liquor, Evie"

"Here"

She used the same spell on Serena. Her mood instantly improved.

"Good. The room isn't spinning anymore"

They entered the dining room together. Her parents and Jayce were already there. Jayce was sitting next to Cordelia, a young girl around 20. She acted as a personal assistant to Evani. Cordelia gained the Oracle ability from her mother and had lived at the headquarters her entire life. Jayce constantly flirted with her, complimenting her on things like her doe-like sky blue eyes that accentuated her raven black hair or her dazzling smile. Serena warned him that Oracles were supposed to stay chaste until marriage and if they did not, they would lose their ability to see the future. Jayce did not seem to care, being very interested in Cordelia. A few days ago, he admitted that they were officially dating. Evani scrunched her nose in disgust when Cordelia kissed his cheek.

"How did your brother get her to date him?" whispered Serena.

"No idea but I give it a week before she's no longer an Oracle"

Serena hit her shoulder. "Evie"

"What? I know my brother. He's convinced girls to cheat on their boyfriends. One time, he even got a girl to ditch her purity ring and they did it in a public park"

Grimm smiled when he saw them. He had been speaking to her parents.

"Ah, Evani, Serena, I hope you slept well"

"Yea, like always"

Sebastien, another Oracle, pulled out chairs for them. Evani sat down at the table.

"Would you like anything in particular, princess?"

"For the five hundredth time, you can call me Evie. It won't kill you" she whispered.

"It's proper greeting"

"I'm not a princess"

"By blood, you are"

She simply nodded. It was pointless to argue with them. Hearing them call her princess was hard to get used to, even after a few weeks. Her parents had been caught off guard by it the first time. The Oracles never referred to them by that kind of title since only magical Pendragons were considered royalty. Her father would tease her about it, always bowing when he saw her. Grimm told Evani that Dumbledore stopped by the headquarters late last night. He had given Hogwarts the same security measures as this building. Voldemort himself could not break through the charms.

As she ate, Evani glanced at her phone under the table. She got onto her _WizSpark _account. Draco had not returned any of her messages. She kept messaging him after she learned about his father's arrest. It was all over the _Daily Prophet_. She worried about Draco, hoping that Voldemort did not hurt him.

"Evie, he's fine. Don't worry"

"He won't even just say hi"

"I bet it's my dad. He'll be watching all of their communications. Draco won't risk messaging you in case my dad intercepts it"

"I wish I could go see him. We've been cooped up here"

"Trust me, he misses you. This is hard on him too, Evie"

After breakfast, they went outside and sat by the surrounding lake. Ash flew above their heads. The day after they arrived at the headquarters, Serena discovered Ash in Evani's room. When her parents learned that caring for a dragon was not part of a Hogwarts class, a lie that Evani made up, Evani was put through a long lecture. She admitted to having more dragon eggs. Her mother forbid her from hatching them. Grimm was not as angry as her parents. He predicted that Evani would hatch the eggs, which had been hidden in that cave since the Pendragons lost power. Despite Ash's growing size, Evani still saw him as a baby. Ash dove into the water. He emerged and threw a fish into the air, charring it with a flame. As he ate the fish, he landed in front of Evani. She pet his head.

"He's getting really big, Evie"

Jayce and Cordelia were behind them. She rolled her eyes.

"He's harmless, Jay"

"You said you hatched him in November. It hasn't even been a full year. Look at him. Soon enough, he'll be destroying buildings in New York City"

Serena giggled. Evani playfully glared. Ash brushed his head against Jayce's leg, emitting a soft coo. No one else felt comfortable around him. Serena, like Jayce, worried about his size. She told Evani that soon, Ash would be difficult to control. Evani was not worried about it. Despite their concern, Ash had been well-trained.

"Don't you worry that someone could snatch him? What if one of these death eaters take him for their own use?"

She conjured the Pendragon journal. "Jay, only a Pendragon can control them. It says that in here"

"Anyone could write that"

"He was the last king. I think he knew how to care for them. He even wrote phrases in this ancient language only Razortails understand"

"And what exactly did they use them for?"

"During battles. It was the Middle Ages though. Wars were common in that time. They also used them to travel if they didn't want to apparate" explained Cordelia.

Jayce asked to speak to her privately. Serena and Cordelia went back into the headquarters. He looked at Evani.

"How are you doing?"

"Fine. You seem to enjoy it here. Don't mess it up with her. She's the best girl you've ever been involved with…not that it's hard to beat recovering drug addicts"

"Evie, I know when something's bothering you. Are you worried about Voldemort? Cordy said that he doesn't even know you're here"

Evani wanted to tell him about Reese. She had not even mentioned this other Pendragon hanging around the wizarding world to Dumbledore and the Oracles. Reese was a serious threat.

"No. I just hate being stuck in here"

"It won't be for long. They said that tomorrow, we can go home. They've put up security measures on the house. No one can get in there without our permission"

After putting Ash back in the small greenhouse that served as a home for him, she returned to the headquarters. She took Serena into the library. They would spend hours in there, looking up information on the dragon's curse. Evani grabbed one of the books. She sat on the floor, flipping through it. Serena looked at a book about curses.

"It talks about the curse in here…but nothing on breaking it. I guess no one ever tried to choose both"

"One wizard did. He died from making that choice" replied Evani.

"Comforting"

They were in the library until dinnertime. Evani tossed her tenth book aside, frustrated. She looked at the Pendragon journal. Curiously, she skimmed the pages. She noticed that one of the pages had tape around the edges. Ripping the tape, she realized that it had been two pages stuck together. Between the pages, there was a small note. It was written in Orion's handwriting. The note described how a 17 year old Orion worried about the curse killing his girlfriend Seraphine. Evani remembered that was the name of his wife. He had a plan to deflect the curse onto a handmaiden, remarking that he needed to feign feelings for her to confuse the curse. Her eyes widened slightly. If Seraphine was married to Orion, she survived the curse. She showed the note to Serena.

"So he pretended to like someone else…and it worked?"

"Because it takes who you're closest to. He chose dark magic and it must have killed this handmaiden"

"Do you think that could work again? He must've been an amazing actor to trick a curse. You could use this, Evie"

"I don't want anyone to die. I mean, I can think of people who deserve it but I am not flirting with your dad"

"That would be gross. We'll figure it out. This is a good start"

They went into the dining room. Her mother was discussing fashion with the other women. Evani formed a plan in her head. She told Serena to distract her father while she talked to Grimm. Serena nodded and asked him random questions about Dallas. Evani sat next to Anna and Grimm. Anna was one of the only Oracles to call her by her actual name.

"Evie, I came up with an idea so you can keep Ash with you at Hogwarts. I know he's very attached. I convinced Dumbledore to construct a small home in the forest for him. It will allow him to get exercise"

"Thanks, Anna. That's great. Everard, I had a question about the Pendragons"

He smiled. "Ask away, my dear. I know everything about them"

"So Orion loved Seraphine, right?"

"With all of his heart. It was true love…a rare occurrence"

"But she lived through the curse"

"Ah, you want to know if the sacrifice is necessary. I'm afraid it's inevitable. Orion had a short affair with one of his handmaidens that ended after her death and he returned to Seraphine. He claimed to be under a love potion. It was a heavily guarded secret. Only Orion, his father, and my great-grandfather, a trusted advisor to the kingdom, were aware of the affair. It is how I know about it"

As Grimm told her about the affair, it sounded like Orion perfectly mimicked love for this handmaiden. She could not bring herself to use that kind of ruse on any disgusting death eater, not even Seth. It was not hard for her to be that manipulative. This seemed to be the only solution to keeping Draco alive. If Alec was still alive, she would have used him. Grimm continued with the little history lesson for the rest of dinner. She feigned interest, struggling to not fall asleep. As they left the dining room, her father pulled her aside...


	2. Reese Returns

As they left the dining room, her father pulled her aside. Serena was leaning against the wall, avoiding eye contact.

"What are you doing, Evie?"

"Probably going in the indoor pool with Serena"

"I mean, what were you discussing with Everard? I know Serena is not that interested in Dallas"

"She's a geography nerd"

Serena nodded, failing to look convincing. "You know how I know you're up to something? Your nose kept twitching"

Evani touched her nose. She remembered Draco mentioning the same thing. He once told her that when being mischievous, her nose crinkled like a rabbit. Her father crossed his arms.

"Talk…or I will dress you up like your mother did when she forced you into those little pageants and post pictures on the internet. Don't think I won't embarrass you"

"I was just asking about the curse, Dad. I don't want it to kill Draco"

He looked sympathetic. "We'll find some loophole. You have seven months until that choice has to be made"

Evani spotted Jayce and Cordelia sneaking around outside. She hugged her father to distract him. He kissed her forehead.

"Why don't you get some sleep? We're going to leave very early tomorrow"

"Yes, Daddy"

She watched her father go up the staircase. Grabbing Serena's hand, she apparated in front of Jayce. He jumped in shock. Cordelia was wearing a short dress with heels.

"I hate when you do that"

"What are you two doing?"

"Going out. A new club opened in Athens"

"Awesome. Serena and I are coming"

"Everard forbids you from leaving the grounds" said Cordelia.

"Then I'll rat you out"

"Don't blackmail her" hissed Jayce.

Evani sighed. "You're right. I'm such a bad person. Maybe being around such a pure soul like Cordelia will help me. If you don't take me, you're not being very good. I might cause chaos and it will be your fault"

Cordelia looked anxious. Serena pinched Evani's arm. She whispered that Evani could not manipulate an Oracle. Evani argued that it was to get them into a cool club filled with cute guys. Nic and Serena had broken up last week. Though he claimed it was due to their age difference, she knew it was her father's doing. She assumed that Voldemort threatened Nic to dump Serena as a way to get her back home. Serena bit her lip, reluctantly.

"Really cute guys who want to dance with pretty girls like us and can make Nic feel like an idiot for dumping you"

Evani knew that she had her convinced. Serena nodded.

"Evie's right, Cordelia. Who knows what trouble we could cause?"

"I know what you two are doing. You better"

"It's all right, Jayce. It's only one night" said Cordelia.

Evani crinkled her nose. Both she and Serena's clothes changed into club attire. Cordelia brought them to the club in Athens, which had an age limit of 18 and over. There was a special doorway for witches and wizards. It led to a part of the club that muggles could not see or enter. A bouncer checked each person for magical ability. Cordelia suggested that Jayce go in the line for the muggles. He took out a watch from his jeans pocket. Evani glared.

"Jay, I told you to get rid of that"

"Relax. It's just to get in here"

He put on the watch. Pressing a button, he grabbed a piece of wood on the ground. It changed shape, resembling a wand. He pointed it at a brick wall. A jet of blue light hit the wall, causing a burn mark. Serena and Cordelia stared at him, shocked.

"You're a wizard?"

He laughed. "No, Cordy. It's the watch. Evie made a few with her old friend Garrett. He was this tech genius. He made the watch and she put some of her magic inside. So when I wear it, it's like I can do magic"

Evani and Garrett spent a lot of years toying with her magic. He wanted to attempt to mix technology and magic together. Garrett was the one who taught her everything about computers, including his advanced hacking skills. Their inventions included those little cameras that she used to spy on Bass while at the Dursleys and the watches. The watches were made during the previous summer in the beginning of June. By pressing a button on the side, the watch infused the piece of wood with magic, imitating a wand. The watch could learn any spell with ease, no matter the skill level of the person. She gave a prototype to Jayce to help their relationship. She thought that if he could do magic like her, they would stop fighting. He had shown it to Bass when they first met. It was the same watch that Bass attempted to open in his office when Evani watched him at the Dursleys.

She told Jayce to get rid of the watch. If someone like Voldemort got their hands on it, he could use it to gain more followers through squibs or even random muggles. Jayce was very reckless with the watch. When he first got it, he almost set the house on fire. Serena asked her about the watch, curious on how it worked.

"It was mostly Garrett who made it. I only helped a little. When James told him about squibs, he had the idea to sell the watches to them so they didn't feel isolated from other wizards"

"That's a really good idea"

"But people could exploit it, especially your dad. Bass had one of the earlier versions. He couldn't use it since I put a really good locking charm on it. The watch only responds to the first person to wear it"

"So only Jayce could use the watch"

Evani nodded. She told Jayce to take the watch off once they entered the club. He rolled his eyes at her concern. They waited in the line. Jayce was able to fool the bouncer with his fake wand. The bouncer stopped Evani and Serena.

"You two are 18?"

"Just barely" replied Evani, flirtatiously.

He smirked. They went into the club. Serena sighed with relief.

"I'm glad he believed you"

"He was too distracted by imagining what was under our dresses"

"Gross"

They found Jayce and Cordelia at a booth. Evani was excited to be out for her first time in weeks. She appreciated being protected by the Oracles but needed to leave that building. Guys kept sending over drinks to her and Serena. She was starting to get tipsy. Serena did not drink as much, remembering last night. Evani watched her dance with a guy. Her phone vibrated. She did not recognize the number. Going over to a back area, she answered her phone.

"Hello?"

"Evie"

She smiled. "Draco"

"I stole a phone from some muggle. I'm sorry I haven't answered you. I'm being watched like a hawk. Where are you right now? It's really loud"

"A club. I tricked Jayce's girlfriend into taking me and Serena"

"I miss you. I'm going to keep using this phone so we can talk. I have to go but I'll call you later"

Evani put her phone back in her clutch. The alcohol was getting to her. She felt a bit lightheaded. Turning around, she bumped into someone. Reese was in front of her. She could not see Jayce, Cordelia, or Serena.

"I think you're a little young to be here, Evie"

"Then it's a good thing that the bouncer was a perv"

"Is it safe for you to be out alone? Someone might hurt you"

It was far from a subtle threat. Evani put on an innocent expression.

"I want to take back what I said last time we talked"

He looked at her, interested. Evani told him that he was right about taking down the Ministries. They deserved to be reinstated as rulers of the wizarding world. Reese questioned her sudden change. He noted that during their last conversation, she was adamant about not being part of the rebellion. She claimed that wizards like Dumbledore just wanted to hinder her and use her to their advantage. He tilted her chin up and their eyes locked.

"And what do you want, Evie?"

"I'm sick of them controlling me. I want them to bow like the servants they are…I want their knees to ache from bending and their necks to break"

Reese smirked. "With my plan, you will get that and more. They will live in fear of your greatness. First, you need practice"

He took her over to the crowded dance floor. She glared at his back, thinking of how much she wanted to hurt him. When he looked at her, she feigned a smile. They stopped near a girl in her 20s. She was stumbling a bit, leaning against the wall. If she had one more drink, she would faint. Reese stood behind Evani, his hands on her shoulders.

"Take her magic"

"W—what? I can't. It only happened that one time with Bass and I didn't even do it on purpose"

"You can do it. I'll help you through it"

"Can I give it back after?"

"If you'd like to, that's fine. Touch her neck"

Reluctantly, her hand brushed against the girl's neck. The girl was too wasted to notice anything. Reese leaned close to her ear.

"Remember that feeling of Declan's magic coursing through you. Feel her magic inside of her and think of it flowing into your own body"

Evani thought about that incredible rush she got in the Department of Mysteries. Her hand had a golden glow. It moved around the girl's body. The girl slumped against the wall, panting. Suddenly, a surge of energy passed through Evani. She went to move her hand back, not wanting to do more damage. Reese kept it on the girl's neck. The energy kept passing through her. It was even stronger when she took Declan's magic. As the glow faded, the girl fainted. Her skin looked ghostly pale. Evani glanced at her hand.

"Didn't that feel good?"

"Unreal. I—it felt different this time"

"You only took a fraction of Declan's magic. This time, you took every last bit from that girl"

"I—I want more"

"There's an entire club that is yours for the taking"

Reese led her through the crowd. He continued letting her practice on random people. By her tenth wizard, it was becoming much easier. Both of them took magic from a man passed out at the bar. She brought a guy into the bathroom, pretending to flirt. As he leaned closer, she grabbed his throat. Within a few seconds, his magic was gone. He crumpled to the floor. Evani never felt this strong. It was the greatest feeling in the world. She checked her appearance in the mirror. There was a shadow behind her eyes. She blinked a few times, thinking it must be a trick of light. The shadow vanished. She left the bathroom. Reese was waiting.

"You are a very quick learner"

"Why did I need to learn that?"

"It will be useful for our plans. We have somewhere to go"

He grabbed her hand and apparated out of the club. They landed in front of the American Ministry. There were people asleep in front of the building. She recognized them as protestors from an article in the _Daily Prophet_. Reese wanted to cause damage to both sides of this fight. They were going to destroy the building to blame on the protestors then take their magic away so they would pin it on the Ministry. The next day, Reese would then side with the protestors and give proof that the Ministry made this twisted scheme. He told her to cause as much damage as possible. She went throughout the building, shattering windows, smashing walls, and breaking various objects. As she reached Bass's old office, she glanced around, feeling a sudden anger. His belongings were still there. By the time she finished with his office, it looked like a tornado had passed through it. She threw a photo frame of him with his family against the wall. It shattered, sending glass everywhere. She pushed her hand forward. A fire started near the desk. She left the Ministry as the flames spread.

Evani watched the Ministry get engulfed in flames. She waved her hand. The entire building crumbled. Reese finished up taking the protestors' magic. They returned to the club. She decided to find Serena. Reese was holding onto her wrist. He pulled her towards him. There was little space between them. Lifting her up, he forced her against the wall. His hand brushed against her neck. It made her shiver.

"You are perfect"

He leaned closer. She stopped him, thinking of Draco.

"That boy doesn't care about you. If he did, he would do anything to be with you"

"H—he does care. He just…he has to be careful"

Reese chuckled. "A one minute phone call? I hardly think so. He has no idea how lucky he is to have you. You deserve better, Evie. He doesn't appreciate you. I bet at this moment, he's with his little Slytherin friends…including Pansy. If you're not there and she is, he's going to fulfill his needs through her. He is using you…just like Alec"

Evani shoved him off of her, angrily. She glared. Reese was attempting to mess with her head. He would not ruin her relationship with Draco. She knew that Draco loved her. No one could tell her different.

"I said I'd work with you. We're not getting personal"

"You'll realize soon enough that the Malfoy brat is a waste of time"

"We're done"

"For now"

She returned to the booth. Serena was waiting, drinking a soda.

"Evie, here you are. Where have you been?"

"I ran into some old friends. Are you having fun?"

"Yea, this is great. I thought I saw Reese here"

"You're imagining things"

They hung out at the club until about two in the morning. Once they found Jayce and Cordelia, they returned to the Oracle headquarters. Cordelia was very wasted. She kept stumbling and hanging onto Jayce. If she somehow resisted him in this state, he actually would need to wait until marriage to get her in bed. Evani was repelled by some kind of shield. Cordelia looked at her.

"That's strange. It only repels those who have less than pure intentions. It must be a mistake"

Waving her wand, she lowered the shield. Evani stepped past it, entering the grounds. She asked what Cordelia meant by pure intentions.

"You know, good hearts and all that. It blocks out dark magic. You're not evil…or are you? I'm kidding, kidding"

She giggled into Jayce's shoulder. He laughed with her. Evani went up to her room, thinking about what had happened with the shield…

* * *

**A/N: The watch that Jayce had was something that had been mentioned in the beginning of _Shadows and Secrets_. I never gave much background to it in the previous story but in the sequel, it is going to have a bigger role. Evani mentions that Jayce is reckless with it so it wouldn't be difficult for someone to see him using it. Like Evani told Serena, they could be used to give magic to squibs and muggles, who don't have the natural ability to do magic, and someone like Voldemort could use that to their advantage. It also gave a nod to her time at the Dursleys where she put the camera in Bass's office and had these great computer skills. Instead of her just randomly knowing how to do something so complicated, I wanted her to learn it from someone else, which in this case was her friend Garrett. He was the one to create these little gadgets and she just added a magical touch to them. With Reese, I wanted it to be clear that she is playing him. She has ulterior motives to gaining his trust. At the same time, she is being drawn to the darker side of magic by being around him, shown by the fact that she could not get into the Oracles headquarters at the end of the chapter. So even though she is pretending to side with Reese, she also has to prevent herself from being tempted by dark magic. **


	3. Birthday Surprises

-A week later- Ever since that night in Athens, Evani had not seen Reese. He would send her messages, detailing their future plans. Evani's memory of the club was mostly a blur. She could only remember seeing Reese and then being unable to enter the Oracles headquarters. The next day, there had been an article in the _Daily Prophet_. It discussed the destruction of the American Ministry building and hundreds of prostestors waking up to a loss of their magic. Evani felt that she must have had some small part in the incident. A message from Reese confirmed it when he said that their plan had gone off perfectly. He claimed that he was slowly gathering people on their side. The incident led to a large amount of tension between the public and the Ministries. Some Ministers reported that the protestors had destroyed the building themselves and feigned an inability to do magic, the reaction that Reese wanted. Soon after those reports, even more wizards became part of the rebellion. The public was furious that the Ministries would blame them when it was clear they were not involved.

A few days ago, Evani returned to her home in Dallas. With her birthday coming up, her mother went into a frenzy to plan the perfect party. She wanted to make up for losing that opportunity last year since Evani had run away to escape Bass and his men. Her mother was being extremely secretive. She would keep Evani, Jayce, and Serena out of the house for most of the day and take any phone calls outside. Though Evani just wanted a small get-together, she knew it would be impossible. Her mother tended to go slightly overboard with parties.

They were at a café together. As soon as they woke up, her mother sent them out of the house. The party was going to be later tonight. They did not even get a chance to eat breakfast. Evani had received messages from her friends in both the muggle and wizarding world. Hedwig and Pigwidgeon arrived with boxes from Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys. She decided to open them with the rest of her presents. A waitress brought over their food and drinks. Evani ripped a piece of her apple pie with vanilla ice cream.

"You're seriously eating that for breakfast?" asked Jayce, drinking his coffee.

"Says the guy who once ate waffles dipped in chocolate syrup every day when he was 10. Besides, it's my birthday"

She glanced at her phone. Draco had not called her since that night at the club. She wanted to invite him to her party but worried that it might cause trouble if Voldemort found out about it. As they ate, they talked about the party. Serena's phone rang. She groaned, seeing her mother's name. Standing outside, she argued with her mother about returning home. Based on Serena's angered expression, the conversation was not going well. Jayce went over to some of his friends. Evani continued checking her phone. Someone sat beside her. Jayce was still with his friends, bragging about Cordelia. Turning her head, she saw Voldemort. If any other wizard was in his presence, they would be too scared to even blink. Evani was not afraid of him since he could not hurt her due to the dragon's curse.

"I'd say I was shocked that you're just casually sitting here but that would be a lie. It must be nice to blend in with these muggles who have no idea what a psychopath you are"

"You would know about that, wouldn't you?"

"If you're here to force Serena back, you've got a better chance of screwing Snape"

He chuckled. Evani doubted he was here to bring Serena home. He did not care about her. Only her mother was concerned for her safety. Serena would simply impede his plans. He asked about her short stay with the Oracles. It did not surprise her that he was aware of her location. Evani sipped her latte.

"It was interesting. Too bad you couldn't be there too. You know, they have this library and there are a lot of books written about you. I'll admit that when Harry first told me about you, I thought you were this amazing wizard...that no one could compare. I mean, you get all these people to do whatever you ask. They'll even die for you. You convinced Harry's father's best friend to betray him, most wizards won't even say your name, you've killed countless people…and yet, look at you all these years later. A washed-up man who's a shadow of his former self, got his ass kicked by a toddler, and despite everyone knowing he's returned, he still hides like a scared puppy with his tail between his legs. I bet you're disguised to everyone but me"

His eyes narrowed. She smiled sweetly.

"You are very confident to say such things when we're alone"

"It's not like you can hurt me. The dragon's curse, remember?"

"Indeed I do. It doesn't stop me from hurting those around you. Poor Draco has been miserable these past few weeks. Imagine if he was caught by the aurors…the boy wouldn't last a day in Azkaban" he said, smirking.

"If you lay a hand on him, I'll hurt Seth so bad that his previous stay at St. Mungo's will look like he just had a scrape"

"You think I care about the boy? He's just a means to an end"

"No, I know Seth is nothing to you. You only care about yourself…and your horcruxes"

His smirk faltered. When doing research in the Oracle library, she read some books on dark magic. She thought it would provide some information on the dragon's curse. One of the books described horcruxes, an object of the darkest magic. Horcruxes hid a fragment of a person's soul. They were created by committing murder. Once made, the horcruxes protected the witch or wizard from death. Many horcruxes physically disfigured them due to the evil nature of the object. She thought it was the only explanation for Voldemort surviving the killing curse. Serena mentioned that when she first met him, he looked more like a monster. He used a potion to take on a normal appearance.

"I know you made them. I also know how many you have and where they are. So if you do anything to make me mad, I'll destroy them and then anyone can kill you"

"You're bluffing"

"Am I? Why don't you read my mind and see if…oh wait, you can't read my thoughts. I guess you can't be sure"

"You're not as clever as you think"

"I'm still more clever than you. I dare you to take the chance that I'm lying. If I destroy them, you'll lose that immortality…and everything that's so pathetic about you will be all you have left"

She let out a tiny giggle, taking a piece of her pie. He grabbed her wrist roughly. She felt her bones breaking. Burns formed up his arm.

"You'll soon realize that I am the only one who truly understands your potential, Evani. Dumbledore can try to change you all he wants but you like dark magic…the power it gives you. I know you are behind that incident at the American Ministry. You gave yourself away when you took their magic"

"No idea what you're talking about"

"We'll see how long that innocent act lasts. I'm sure your birthday will be very special"

He let go of her wrist. She watched him leave the café. Using a charm, she healed her wrist. Jayce returned to the table.

"What's wrong with your wrist?" he asked, seeing her rub it.

"Banged it on the table. What were you talking about with your friends?"

"Dex wanted help with something"

She glared slightly. He sighed.

"I said no. You know I don't help him anymore. Give me some credit"

Serena came back into the café. Her mother was attempting to bribe her to leave Dallas. Evani felt bad that Serena had to deal with such a poor family. Her father was a certified lunatic and her mother just enabled his behavior. They spent the day hanging around the town. Around eight, they returned to the house. It was extremely dark.

"My mom really thinks I'm going to be surprised"

Serena pushed her shoulder. "Stop it. At least she throws you parties. On my last birthday, my mother gave me a frozen cupcake…"

As they entered the ballroom, the lights turned on and she saw tons of people, including friends and family.

"Surprise!"

Evani feigned shock. She was forced to greet everybody. Her mother went over to her.

"Happy Birthday, sweetheart. I want to give you one of your presents early. Close your eyes"

"Mom, are you serious?"

"Yes. It's going to be your favorite present"

Evani closed her eyes. Her mother led her outside. She reached out in front of her. Her hand brushed against something soft.

"You can look now"

Evani opened her eyes, seeing Draco. She thought she had to be hallucinating. He smiled. Excitedly, she hugged her mother.

"Mommy, this is the best present ever. How"

"He had left you a voicemail on your phone and I used it to get his number. I wanted it to be a good surprise. I'll let you two catch up. Don't spend all night out here…"

Her mother returned to the party. Draco pulled Evani, kissing her. She felt her knees weaken. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She never wanted to leave this spot. After a few minutes, she pulled away and smiled.

"I can't believe you're here. What if V"

"My mom's covering for me. She's going to tell him that I'm visiting my father in Azkaban. She noticed how I missed you…not seeing you for this long has been torture"

"This is so much better than a phone call"

They sat down near the fountain. His thumb brushed against the top of her hand. She asked him about the death eater meetings. He told her that Voldemort had given him a few small missions. Thankfully, he did not need to kill anyone. She glanced at his Dark Mark.

"How's your mom doing? I read about your dad's trial…"

"It's been hard on her. She spends most of the time in her room, crying. She doesn't even want to risk leaving the manor…she can't handle the gossip"

"I'm sorry"

"I'm sure he'll get out soon. Voldemort's got control of the dementors so it's just a matter of time"

Reaching into his jeans pocket, he took out a jewelry box. She opened it. Inside was a pair of sapphire earrings. She kissed him.

"I love them" she said, putting in the earrings.

Evani took him back to the house. She introduced him to the other guests. Some guys threw him envious looks. The girls all gushed over him being handsome. He hung out with her and her friends. Serena sat next to Evani.

"So has Seth gone even farther up my dad's ass?"

"They're kind of fighting"

Evani looked at Draco, interested. He explained that Seth was overstepping his boundaries. To prove himself, he wanted to go on the bigger missions. His father refused, calling him a child. It caused tension between them. Seth would treat the older death eaters like personal servants and none of them respected him. They saw him as an entitled brat. Serena looked happy with this news.

"It's like a late birthday present to me"

"Let's play a game. Birthday girl's choice" said James.

"Never have I ever"

"How do you play that?" asked Draco.

Her cousin Cassi told him the rules. One person said something that they had never done. If the others in the game did that thing, they drank a shot. They moved into a circle. Evani sat on Draco's lap. James poured shots for everyone.

"You can say anything?" he whispered.

"Yea. It's usually naughty stuff. It's a really fun game"

"So Serena will be sober the entire time" he joked.

Serena playfully glared at him. James started the game.

"We'll start tame since we have newbies. Never have I ever…kissed a guy"

The girls rolled their eyes and drank their shots. As the game continued, Evani noticed a pattern. Everyone was targeting her. Soon enough, she had a shot at every turn.

"This isn't fair"

"There's no rule against it. It's not our fault you're such a dirty slut" joked Cassi.

"My turn. Never have I ever…had sex on my sibling's bed" said her friend Adam.

Evani scoffed and downed her shot with a few other kids, including Jayce. They looked at each other.

"When was that?" he asked.

"Payback for when you ratted out me going on a date with Troy Carson to Dad. When were you on my bed, perv?"

"I can't even think of a number"

She scrunched her nose in disgust. Her friends laughed. She leaned her head on Draco's shoulder.

"You feel okay?"

"I'm fine. It's payback now, jerks. I'm going to get all of you in one sweep…never have I ever hooked up with one of the Campbell twins"

"Evie!" they chorused.

"You better drink…and I say you bitches take two if you hooked up with both Olivia and Parker"

Only Evani, Draco, and Serena did not drink. Draco looked at her, curiously. He asked her about the twins.

"They just moved here a few months ago. They had a reputation as players. They hooked up a lot before the school year ended and they moved back to Italy. I never met them since I was at Hogwarts"

After ending their game, they joked around. Adam took out a bag of green powder. He had gotten it in Amsterdam. It was a new drug called Devil's spirit. He claimed that it had actually killed people who tried it.

"You waited this long to bring it out? What's wrong with you?"

Adam passed the bag around. Evani poured a line onto her hand. Knowing Serena was not a partier, she gave the bag to Draco. He looked reluctant.

"Evie, I don't think you should be doing that. He said it killed people" he whispered.

She giggled. "Draco, it's my birthday. I want to have fun. Don't spoil it. It's okay if you're chicken"

"I don't want you to get hurt"

Inhaling the powder, she rubbed her nose. "Adam, this is awesome"

"Then you'll love your birthday present, Evie"

Draco did not seem to find it funny. She poked his nose.

"Stop worrying. Come up to my room"

Evani pulled him up from the couch. She took him up to her room. Kissing him, she pushed him down on the bed. She straddled him.

"I missed you so much. I don't want you to leave"

"I missed you too. I have another present for you. It's special"

He took out a necklace. She recognized it from the Balcoin cave.

"Did you steal that?"

"Technically, no. He hasn't even touched it since Serena got it for him. It was just sitting in a pile in the basement of my manor with a bunch of other trinkets. No offense to him but this would look much better on you"

He put the necklace around her neck. Suddenly, her back burned intensely. She fell off the bed, clutching her back.

"Evie? What's wrong?"

"It's"

Evani tried to take off the necklace. It was stuck to her neck like a permanent sticking charm. Draco helped her up from the floor. He unzipped the back of her dress.

"Wh—I know this…how—you"

She turned to him. "It's why he wants me. I'm…a Pendragon"

"That's impossible. They're all muggles"

"There's this prophecy. It was about how a magical Pendragon would be born and it meant me. You can't tell anyone, Draco"

"Why would I tell anyone? Are you mental? The Ministry would have your head on a spike, especially with this rebellion"

Evani zipped her dress. She told him to forget about her secret lineage and focus on her party. He hugged her tightly.

"I promise to keep you safe, Evie. Just like you promised me when you saw my Dark Mark…"

"We should go back downstairs before my grandfather bursts in and threatens to shoot you"

Draco grabbed her hand as they left the room. She touched the necklace. The dragon on the sapphire gem was outlined in a golden glow. She got a bad feeling about it. For the rest of the party, she attempted to not look worried…


	4. The Attack

-Three days later- Evani was sitting in her room, reading the Pendragon journal. Ash and Shadow played together on the floor. When Shadow attempted to hit Ash with a ball of water, Ash flew into the air. She warned them not to break anything. Ash let out a stream of fire. Shadow dodged it at the last second, causing the carpet to catch fire. She waved her hand, extinguishing the flames. There was a loud knock on the door. She got a paper cut from the page.

"Evie, Mom says to get down to breakfast"

"You didn't need to bang on the door, Jay" she said, annoyed.

"Hurry up"

A few drops of blood fell into the journal. The words on the page about dragon care vanished, replaced by new writing. Curiously, she placed blood on the rest of the pages. It had a similar effect. The writings were by Orion, detailing his daily thoughts and some family secrets. He had written about Reese and his younger sister Sophia. Evani assumed that she was the sister who died from Reese's curse. Orion mentioned that they had a tense relationship and how Sophia would be one of the greatest witches of her age. She skimmed through the journal's new contents. He wrote about teaching Reese an ability that was only capable of a Pendragon but he was unsure if he was ready. Reese had a reputation for being lazy and immature. Orion said that this magic could not be used lightly. Her eyes widened as she continued to read. She texted on her phone and headed downstairs.

Jayce and Serena were in the dining room, talking. Evani sat next to her.

"Finally, your highness"

She playfully glared at Serena. "Listen, Nic called me late last night. He wants to…get back together"

"Serena, don't. I know you like Nic but he's a coward. If he wanted to be with you, he'd choose you over your father"

"I'm giving him a chance. He wants to meet with me but I kind of don't want to be alone. It could end badly"

"We can go shopping today. He can meet us at the mall. Just promise to be careful"

Her parents entered the dining room. As they ate, Evani continued to read the journal under the table. The journal was lifted from her hands. She turned around, seeing her mother holding it.

"Mom"

"Enough reading this journal, Evie. You've become obsessed with it. How can you possibly read so much about dragons?"

"I'm not obsessed. There's important stuff in it"

"Is there something you're not telling us? Did something happen?"

Evani grabbed the journal. "No. I just like reading about dragons so I don't end up killing Ash. It's not a crime to read"

Her mother did not look convinced. She always knew when Evani was lying. No matter how hard she tried, Evani could not fool her. She crossed her arms, insisting that Evani tell them the truth.

"I'm not the only one" she mumbled, sipping her tea.

"What was that?" asked her father.

Evani looked at him. "I'm not the only Pendragon with magic"

"What are you talking about? No one else in the family…Evie, we would know if they could use magic like you"

"He's technically an ancestor"

She told them the truth about Reese. Serena was shocked that he had been posing as a history assistant last year. Evani explained how he had been sent to their time with a spell to protect her but he did not do his job. When she mentioned that he was planning on returning to his royal status by destroying the Ministries, her parents looked furious. Her mother hit her shoulder with a napkin.

"How could you keep this from the Oracles? From Dumbledore?"

"It's none of their business"

"Evie, have you lost your mind? You can't do this alone"

"Funny, coming from the woman who made me learn how to ride a bike without training wheels all by myself...when I was 4"

She glared. "This isn't about bicycles! This is keeping you safe!"

"I'm not on his side, Mom. I thought Reese could help me but he turned out to be insane. I don't want to rule anybody. If I don't play along, he'll kill you. He doesn't care about any of you because you can't do magic. If I tell Dumbledore, Reese will flip out and I really have no idea what he's capable of…he's stronger than me. So the only way to keep you safe is to pretend to like him"

Her parents did not seem to agree with this plan. They would rather take their chances with informing Dumbledore about Reese's true identity and his intentions. She made them promise to keep it a secret. Using her phone, she showed them a picture of Reese. Due to the enchantments, he could not get into the house without an invitation from her or her family. She already showed his picture to the guards and gave them a potion to avoid being controlled through their minds. As another precaution, she added a new spell to the security on the house, removing any disguising charms so that Reese could not trick them under the guise of someone else.

After breakfast, she got dressed for her day out with Serena. Jayce was leaving his room. He secured the watch on his wrist. Seeing her, he sighed.

"I know what you're going to say. You don't like me wearing the watch…but I like to have it for protection, especially at times like this. It's good in case a wizard sneaks up on me. I'm getting pretty good with it. You can yell at me now"

"No, you can wear it"

He looked at her, strangely. "I can?"

"You're right. Protection is important. You might need it. Where are you going?"

"Hanging out at the skate park to get drunk or high…probably both. Then we're going to the bar at night"

She nodded and watched him leave the house. Once Serena was ready, they headed for the mall. They spent the next few hours shopping at various stores. They went to a café for a quick break. Nic met up with them and he and Serena went outside to talk in private. Evani was cautious to trust him. Reading his thoughts, she knew that he still feared Voldemort. She wondered why he would risk getting back together with Serena. As they talked, she got a text from Reese. He told her to look at the latest edition of _The Chronicle_. She could only imagine what made him so happy.

"Why are you speaking to him?"

Devon sat across from her. She put her phone down on the table.

"Just some guy"

"Jon isn't some guy"

"He—you said Jon. Do you—you know who Reese really is, don't you?"

"He can change his hair and his eyes…I still remember that little arrogant prat"

Devon admitted to knowing about Reese's identity since his first day at Hogwarts. He immediately recognized him since Devon had been around at the time of the Pendragon's fall from power. Devon told her how the Pendragons treated all beings with respect, magical or non-magical. He even worked as part of the royal guard. Devon had been the one watching her duel with Pansy at the beginning of the school year. When he first saw her, he thought she was Sophia since they looked extremely alike. It creeped her out that Reese attempted to kiss her, considering her similar appearance to his sister.

Devon assumed that Reese and Sophia had escaped to this time during the rebellion in the Middle Ages and were masquerading as normal wizards to blend into the community. Meeting Evani in person, he saw the differences between her and Sophia. He said that Sophia was very timid, meek, and emotional due to Reese's constant teasing. She and Reese had a tense relationship since she had a lot of power, like Evani, and Orion saw great potential in her. Reese had used the curse to his advantage to kill Sophia. Evani questioned why Devon did not tell her about her Pendragon heritage. He told her that he knew it would have bad consequences for her and he wanted to keep her safe from harm.

"You are the polar opposite of Sophia. She was afraid of her own shadow. You are brimming with confidence, not afraid of anything or anyone, and take any challenge head-on by yourself. If she had even a bit of your confidence, she would have stood up to Reese and seen through his deceptions. She wanted to believe so badly that he cared for her that she did not see the truth until it was too late"

"He got the idea from his father. Orion did the same to save his wife"

"You want to use it on Reese, don't you? You called me here to help. You're lucky I was in the states on business but I don't see how I will be useful"

"Reese wants to go back to having a kingdom and be the ruler. I don't want any part of it. He just thinks I side with him"

"Friendship isn't enough to direct the curse at him, Evie. He spent years pretending to care for his sister. Even if you feigned feelings, he wears a special ring to prevent death"

"A horcrux"

Devon nodded. "If you somehow destroy it, you still need to get him weak enough so he doesn't kill you before the curse strikes. I can't hurt a Pendragon. Vampires and werewolves were cursed to die if they laid even the tiniest scratch…it was meant to teach obedience to the royal family"

Evani looked at her phone. She tracked Jayce to a local bar.

"I want you to attack my brother tonight"

"What does this have to do with Reese?"

"Everything. I want you and anyone else you can get to provoke him to use magic. I know he's a muggle but he has a way to do it. You can attack his friends too"

"What is the point of this attack?"

"That's for me to know. Trust me, it will help us get rid of Reese. Text me when it's done. Make sure he uses magic in front of them"

Serena and Nic walked over to the table. She smiled at Devon.

"Hey Devon. I didn't realize you were in Dallas"

"I was in the area on business. I wanted to catch up with Evie"

"This is Nic. Devon's"

"A vampire. I know who he is, Serena" said Nic.

"I'll see you at Hogwarts, Evie. I'll tell you if I hear anything"

He left the café. Nic looked at her, warily.

"You're friends with a vampire? Is that smart?"

"He's harmless"

"I've seen him kill people"

"Who, your fellow followers of a psychotic snake?"

"Guys" said Serena, not wanting a fight.

Evani glared slightly at Nic. There was something different about him. He kissed Serena's cheek and offered to call her later. As he left, she looked at Serena. Shyly, she admitted to getting back together with Nic.

"Serena, I think this is a bad idea"

"You said he was a coward for not choosing me and now he did choose me. He was sorry about breaking up"

"Something's off about him. What if your dad did something?"

"Nic would never hurt me, Evie. Please don't fight with him. He didn't mean to be rude about Devon. Most wizards don't trust vampires. Besides, you can't judge me for being with Nic when Draco's a death eater too"

"I'm not judging you. I think Nic has bad intentions and I want to make sure you're not being blinded by your feelings for him"

"I'm not. He's the same amazing guy"

Evani feigned a smile. She did not want to ruin this happiness for Serena. Around dinnertime, they returned to the house. Her parents were working late. They sat in the living room, watching movies while they ate snacks. Devon sent a text to her, saying he did the job. As it neared nine, she heard the door creak open, followed by a soft thud.

"Evie, we've got a problem"

She left the living room. Jayce was laying on the floor in the main hallway. Blood stained his clothes. He held his side as Robert helped him up from the floor. She told Robert that a hospital was not needed and to not inform her parents. He helped her bring Jayce into the living room, putting him on the couch, and left the house to check for any intruders. Serena looked worried.

"What happened, Jayce?"

"Vampires attacked me at the bar"

"Vampires? Are you sure?"

"They just started pushing me around"

"Serena, go up to my room. Under my bed, I have some healing potions. We might need them"

Serena ran up the staircase. Evani began to heal his injuries. Jayce groaned in pain. He covered his mouth as he coughed. There was blood on his hand.

"You let them hurt you?"

"I tried to stop them. I…had to use the watch to get them away. I'm sorry, Evie. My friends saw it too. I had to tell them about you and your magic"

She fixed a cut on his cheek. "It's not your fault. You were protecting yourself"

"Do you think Voldemort sent them?"

"It was obviously him. Why else would they hurt you? He knows your friends now, Jay. They need protection"

Waving her hand, she conjured a small box. She opened it, revealing more watches.

"I want you to give these watches to them. James got an apartment in Dallas to watch over you, Mom, and Dad. He can help you and your friends learn how to use magic better"

"Evie, I can't. You always said"

"Your safety is what matters to me, Jayce. I don't want your friends hurt because of me. Serena and I leave tomorrow morning. I won't be around to protect you. Promise me that you'll take his lessons seriously"

"I will. I don't want this to happen again. I'll make my friends promise to keep this all a secret"

Serena returned with the healing potions. Jayce drank them with a grimace. His wounds instantly healed. Evani suggested that they all get some sleep. She sat on her bed and answered her phone when it vibrated.

"Hey James"

"What are you doing, Evie? Why am I teaching Jayce and his friends magic?"

"They were attacked by vampires"

"Yea, I heard. It's weird for vampires to just go into muggle places"

"It's Voldemort, James. He has them under his control. I want them to be safe. So teach them like they're going through Merlin Academy or Hogwarts. I don't want my brother to get hurt. Serena said he has werewolves under his control too so Caleb's going to help out with this training"

"I'll try my best"

She hung up the phone. The journal appeared at her side. She flipped it open to one of the pages. Reading its contents, she smirked.

"You're going down, Reese…and it's all thanks to your father"

She stayed up for the next hour, looking through the journal…


End file.
